Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday interacted with Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar awardee from Kashmir Hanaya Nisar who bagged the prestigious award in sports category.
“We are committed to popularising different sports and emphasising fitness. Hanaya Nisar is a Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar awardee who has represented India in various martial arts competitions. She has won various laurels. Proud of her accomplishments,” Prime Minister said in a tweet.
Reports said that Hanaya is an SQAY martial arts player. She has been in the field for the last seven years. According to family sources, Hanaya has represented India in the 3rd World SQAY Martial Arts Championship at Chingju, South Korea which was held in October, 2018.
At that time, Hanaya was 12 years old and she bagged a gold medal.
An official spokesperson said the Modi met Hanaya at his official residence in Delhi and discussed issues such as tackling the stigma around mental health and the problems faced by children. Other awardees were also present.
The PM presented souvenirs to all the awardees and discussed their achievements on a one-to-one basis, which was followed by interaction with the entire group. According to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), he engaged in an open-hearted interaction in an informal setting where children asked him questions about the challenges they face and sought his guidance on a variety of topics.
PM Modi suggested the awardees to start by solving small problems, gradually build capacity, enhance capability and develop the confidence to solve bigger problems as they go ahead in life.
“Discussing the issue of mental health and problems faced by children, he talked about tackling the stigma around the issue and the important role of the family in tackling such issues. Several other topics were also taken up by the Prime Minister during the interaction, including the benefits of playing Chess, taking up art and culture as a career, research and innovation, and spirituality, among others," the statement reads.
The awardees, belonging to 11 states and UTs, include six boys and five girls — Aadithya Suresh, M Gauravi Reddy, Shreya Bhattacharjee, Sambhab Mishra, Rohan Ramchandra Bahir, Aditya Pratap Singh Chauhan, Rishi Shiv Prasanna, Anoushka Jolly, Hanaya Nisar, Kolagatla Alana Meenakshi and Shauryajit Ranjitkumar Khaire.